Box Score DENTON, Texas – The Louisiana Tech Women's soccer team scored their quickest goal of the season but also gave up the latest goal of the season in a 2-1 loss to North Texas in Denton, Texas in the 2022 regular season finale.
LA Tech (7-8-3, 5-3-2 C-USA) and North Texas (11-5-2, 7-2-1 C-USA) were both locked in for the Conference USA tournament, which begins in Charlotte, N.C. next week, but seeding and a lot of pride were on the line in Saturday evening's match.
Tech got on the board early in the eighth minute off of
Kalli Matlock's third goal of the season.
Flavie Dube and
Emma Jones were credited with assists.
UNT out-shot Tech 13-5 in the first half and earned six corners to Tech's zero, but the Techsters clung to a 1-0 lead into the halftime locker room.
The Mean Green continued their onslaught of shots, out shooting Tech 30-7, 11-3 on goal, but
Sydnee Korchak had another great night in goal with nine saves, the second-most of her career.
However, UNT found the equalizer in the 65' off Madison Drenowatz's sixth goal of the season.
Both teams traded chances until the final minute when Allie Byrd beat a diving Korchak with just 45 seconds remaining to put the Mean Green on top.
Tech finishes the regular season with 17 points in the C-USA standing, their most since 2018, earning a fourth-place finish. The finish is also the programs best since 2018.
Tech finished the regular season unbeaten in five of their last six matches to clinch its first C-USA tournament bid since 2019.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Steve Voltz…
"I'm so proud of these women, but we are definitely disappointed with the result. We had them on the ropes and chances to put the match away earlier, but didn't finish. That being said, this run we've gone on the close the season, it has shown that we belong in this league and we can play with anyone. It has been a really good regular season and I'm amazed at what our women have been able to do, what they have dealt with, and how they come back every day to do what we've done this year. Now we shift our focus to FAU, getting healthy, and preparing for the first round of this championship tournament, and we are every bit confident we can go play well out in Charlotte."
NOTABLES
• North Texas now leads the all-time series 7-1-2, while Tech falls to 0-6-0 in matches played in Ruston.
• Tech had a five-game unbeaten streak snapped.
• Tech scored their quickest goal of the season, (8') and allowed their latest goal of the season (90').
• LA Tech finished the year scoring in their seven final matches, scoring 13 goals over that span.
• LA Tech scored first in 11 of their 18 matches, they fell to 7-4 when striking first.
•
Kalli Matlock scored her third goal of the season, fifth of her career.
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Flavie Dube was credited with her fourth assist; she has the team lead in goals (5), assists (4), and points (13).
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Emma Jones picked up her second assist of the season.
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Sophie Fijneman played the full 90 minutes again, the 16th time in 18 matches this season. She played all but 33 minutes during the regular season.
•
Josie Studer and
Rebecca Lancaster also played the full 90; Studer's eight time in ten matches; it was Lancaster's sixth.
• Studer eclipsed 5,000 career minutes played.
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Kalli Matlock made her 40th career appearance, while
Tomoyo Kuroyanagi and
Maci Geltmeier each made their 50th career appearance.
•
Sydnee Korchak made her 20th career start.
• Ogando was booked with a yellow.
UP NEXT
LA Tech will prepare to face FAU in the Quarterfinals of the 2022 Conference USA Women's Soccer Championships Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in Charlotte, N.C. LA Tech will be the four seed, while FAU is the fifth seed. The game can be seen on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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